Buxton, Iowa

The Great Buxton

(It has been brought to my attention that a couple things I had written was not appropriate. I sinceraly apologize for this and have tried to correct my errors. If there are anymore concerns please feel free to contact me.)

The history of Buxton, Iowa, is unique for its times. Racial integration and harmony existed there at a time when racial tolerance was the exception and not the rule. Buxton coal mine number 18 lasted only 20 years, 1900-1920. But its impact on Iowa and America remains through books, essays and historical accounts.

Mr. Buxton Starts a Town

During the mid-1880’s Iowa welcomed a man named J.E. Buxton who was an agent for the Consolidated Coal Company (CCC). The CCC was a part of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company. It wanted Iowa coal to fuel its trains. After opening several coal mines in Iowa, J.E. Buxton’s successor and son, Ben, was confronted with a scarcity of white laborers, strikes and increased demand for workers from competitors.

The company needed strike breakers and cheap labor. The idea surfaced to recruit black workers from the South. CCC sent a team of agents including H.A. Armstrong to Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee to recruit black workers and also hired workers from nearby coal mines like Muchakinock, Iowa. As the mines at Muchakinock were dying, the railroad ran a line into Monroe County and Ben Buxton founded the town in his name in 1873. Unlike other coal towns, the railroad purchased all the Buxton coal—creating constant work at high wages.

Buxton Booms

By 1900 Buxton was thriving and became the largest coal mining town west of the Mississippi River. It also was the largest unincorporated city in the nation. By 1905 Buxton’s citizens consisted of 2,700 blacks and 1,991 whites. By 1906 the Ackers Coal Company and the Regal Coal Company opened mines near Buxton. The 1,183,143 tons of coal produced that year made Monroe County the largest coal producer in Iowa.

By 1910 CCC had built 2,000 homes which many residents enlarged. The thriving business and professional community was an opportunity for many blacks to start and own businesses. The company built schools, parks and other establishments. As an unincorporated city, Buxton had no city council, mayor or police. Two company security guards made up the "police force." All this made Buxton an interesting—but sometimes dangerous—place to live.

In 1901 the Monroe Mercantile Company opened as the largest department store employing over 100 Buxton citizens until it burned down in 1911. The company built Buxton Island Park in 1902 and a YMCA with an indoor swimming pool in 1903. In addition to the black majority, Swedes and Australians were both sizable populations. The talk of the town was the Buxton Wonders baseball team who defeated opponents across Iowa.

Good Times in Buxton

As area mines increased production, CCC eventually employed 1,800 men who were paid in gold and silver for an average of five workdays a week. Miners earned $50 to $100 per week. Expensive clothes and free spending were not uncommon. In 1913 mine No.18 opened south of Buxton. Its workers received modern and heavy equipment allowing a hoisting record of 3,774 tons of coal in eight hours.

Buxton’s black professional community was impressive, including the company physician, Dr. E.A. Carter, and prominent attorneys, George H. Woodson and Samuel Joe Brown. Dr. Carter was the first black to graduate the University of Iowa Medical School. Woodson had co-founded the Niagra Movement in 1905. The Niagra Movement became the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1909. Woodson, along with Brown and three others, would found the National Bar Association in 1925, an organization which allowed membership to any lawyer, "regardless of race, creed or sex.."

The Decline Begins

As World War I began in France 1914, Buxton reached its peak in coal production. As demand soared for coal, Buxton's black residents experienced a standard of living unheard of at the time. By the time the black soldiers returned in 1919, coal demand had decreased. Buxton had begun its decline. Blacks had begun leaving Buxton in 1911. Whites became the majority by 1915.

After several huge fires destroyed parts of Buxton in 1916, more residents began to leave. Its population was estimated at only 400 by 1919. In 1923 CCC moved its headquarters to Haydock. It sold out to the Superior Coal Company in 1925. In 1927 Buxton mine No.18 was closed. The incredible journey of racial equity was over. Buxton remains a proud and unusual moment of Iowa history.

By Robert V. Morris

We would like to say thankyou to Nick and his Uncle Jim for allowing us the opportunity to investigate this historic town. We plan to go back again in the future during the day so that we can locate more of the foundations and landmarks that were once the city of Buxton.

Following you will find pictures of the old town of buxton as well as those from our investigation. Our team consisted of 6 investigators and 4 trainees. We were able to access the remains of the old warehouse, what was left of the vault, and the foundations of the general store, the bank, the hotel and the old YMCA, not to mention the old Buxton cemetery. A lot of this meant traversing corn fields and weedy/wooded areas, and some of us did not get to all the sites but we had fun investigating everywhere we were able to catch some e.v.p.'s and some interesting photos.

One of trainees saw an apparition of a 6'2" black male dressed in navy blue bibs cross from one side of the old warehouse to the other. What is interesting about this is that Jim's (the owner of the land) son saw the exact same figure about a year ago while out in the fields raccoon hunting. Several times we couldn't decide whether we were chasing it or it was chasing us.

We look forward to the next time we go there.

To watch videos taken at Buxton please click here and you will be taken to the video page.

You will find the pictures first then after wards there will be investigation notes from follow up visits to Buxton and the e.v.p.s. I will add these soon. In the meantime, enjoy reading about a once happening coal mining town and visit your nearest library.

The first 24 pictures show photographs of Buxton during its time and Buxton now. There is nothing paranormal in these they are just to show what we were looking at. We have now been there twice and the rest of the pictures will show some of what we found.

Investigation Notes

On October 31st, 2009 four members of our team returned to visit Buxton. Although no photographs are available they did obtain a video showing our k2 meter going off. What's interesting to note is that there is no power out there at all so someone or something was trying to communicate.You can view that video on the Buxton Video page.

We are a non-profit paranormal investigation team.

July 31st revisit

Wow what an awesome time.

We had four members of our team present and a guest with us. Also with us was our 6yr old and 11 yr old because they wanted to see Buxton.

We arrived around 10pm and proceeded to make our way through the overgrowth to the remains of the old warehouse which by the way is as far we made it.

The building has three rooms. Two investigators remained in one room while the rest of us proceeded into the middle room. No one went into the room where the apparition was seen from our first investigation.

Shortly we had contact. Chris and Patrick in the first room were having their K2 meter light up light a Christmas light show. They were getting answers to questions left and right but on occasion they wondered if whoever it was was responding to our questions from the other room. Our K2 was not lighting up at all so the guys decided to try both meters in the room with them to see if there was any change but only one was lighting up.

We wondered if something was wrong the the non-responsive meter but when we got it back in the middle room and the 11yr old held it it went off for her.

All the time our 6yr old was asking questions right along with the rest of us. It seems as though almost everyone was touched in some way on their arm, leg, shoulder, or back.

As we were starting to leave Patrick, myself (Rae), our guest and the 6yr old were the last four in the first room and before you knew it both meters were going off. Usually one at a time but occasionally at the same time. We were able through simple questions to ascertain that it was a young boy, who likes the 6yr old and missed her once she left the room. Also that he wants us to come back during the day. He was very responsive and we all were very excited at the length of time that he was able to communicate with us.

We plan to visit again during the day and try to make contact with him once more. This was awesome for all of us just because of the amount of activity and interaction we had, that's why we only made it to the one building.

The voice recorders unfortunately are still being reviewed but here is a picture for you to analyze.

You can see the shadow of our 6yr old on the wall but within her shadow there is a face and what looks like a torso of a boy there. Then if you turn the picture sideways you can see how the light and shadows create a large face. We're curious to go back and try to find out if this figure is the child who was interacting with us.